Habs are 4-1 since Caufield joined the team.

- Scabeh

4-1 falls apart so easily, trust me.

Aside from one game, Habs did a pretty good job of keeping him in check.

Danault made him lose his cool a few times by being all over him.

I like our chances vs Edmonton to be honest.
- Scabeh

McDavid has destroyed most north opponents who are not Montreal or Toronto.


Calgary: 10 GP - 8G - 10 A - 18Pts - 1.8 PPG
Montreal: 7 GP - 2G - 6 A - 8Pts - 1.1 PPG
Ottawa: 9 GP - 4G - 17 A - 21Pts - 2.3 PPG
Toronto: 9 GP - 3G - 7 A - 10Pts - 1.1 PPG
Vancouver: 7 GP - 7G - 7 A - 14Pts - 2 PPG
Winnipeg: 9 GP - 7G - 15 A - 22Pts - 2.4 PPG

He's on a tear; those games on the 10th and 12th will tell us if the tear is because he has faced opposition who doesn't handle him well, or if the tear is him stepping above the competition.

More like 4-1 with Frolik in the lineup.
- AdamFrench

Could he be the X factor?!?

4-1 falls apart so easily, trust me.
- Zezel

McDavid has destroyed most north opponents who are not Montreal or Toronto.


Calgary: 10 GP - 8G - 10 A - 18Pts - 1.8 PPG
Montreal: 7 GP - 2G - 6 A - 8Pts - 1.1 PPG
Ottawa: 9 GP - 4G - 17 A - 21Pts - 2.3 PPG
Toronto: 9 GP - 3G - 7 A - 10Pts - 1.1 PPG
Vancouver: 7 GP - 7G - 7 A - 14Pts - 2 PPG
Winnipeg: 9 GP - 7G - 15 A - 22Pts - 2.4 PPG

He's on a tear; those games on the 10th and 12th will tell us if the tear is because he has faced opposition who doesn't handle him well, or if the tear is him stepping above the competition.
- Monkeypunk

No wonder Winnipeg are trying to tank to 4th.

Avoiding a game 7.

Sounds like a good plan for you guys.
- Scabeh

He is the best by a country mile.

It will be a complete failure and embarrassment for the Leafs to lose to any team in the North. The only way it happens is if our goaltending poops the bed again.

Montreal is the only team that scares me as I believe they are the only team in the North capable and willing to play a sound defensive system. Combine that with the possibility of spectacular goaltending and the Leafs will fold.
- Aetherial

Edmonton has 2 Hart Trophy winners in Draisaitl and McDavid, they have a legitimate Norris candidate in Nurse, and Mike Smith, while not a top-3 guy, is going to get some Vezina love. The rest of the team plays a supporting role, guys like Yamamoto or Puljujarvi or RNH are all good players, but they need the support of the main guys to do much on a meaningful basis. They can be dangerous. In terms of the games we've played this year, I think we were 6-3, but in terms of expected results, we were 4-5, so our goalies really stood up against the Oilers.

Montreal has more overall team speed, and better defense if Weber and Edmundson are playing. They don't have a lot of offense - they're 16th in the league in goals / game; they are 17th in goals against / game. I find I'm not as scared of Carey Price anymore. Maybe I should be in terms of a single series since Price definitely contributed in beating Pittsburgh in the play-ins last year, but his hot streak came to an end and his last 3 games against Philly were pretty pedestrian or even poor. This year he played 6 good games in a row in March. That's enough to win a series, I'll grant, but 5 of the 6 games before that stretch and 5 of the 6 games after that stretch were all well below average. He's gotten inconsistent and unreliable.

I don't know. The Leafs don't love physical play and Montreal brings that, but what they hate more than anything is a solid neutral zone trap. No one in the North effectively applies that; Montreal might be the most capable, but they haven't been doing it, so it's not something they'd be implementing on the fly in a playoff series. This year's Leaf team has shown an ability to play through physical play.

I tend to agree that they should be the favourite to come out of the North no matter who they play - but as Leaf fans there won't be confidence until they give us reason to have some.

McDavid has destroyed most north opponents who are not Montreal or Toronto.


Calgary: 10 GP - 8G - 10 A - 18Pts - 1.8 PPG
Montreal: 7 GP - 2G - 6 A - 8Pts - 1.1 PPG
Ottawa: 9 GP - 4G - 17 A - 21Pts - 2.3 PPG
Toronto: 9 GP - 3G - 7 A - 10Pts - 1.1 PPG
Vancouver: 7 GP - 7G - 7 A - 14Pts - 2 PPG
Winnipeg: 9 GP - 7G - 15 A - 22Pts - 2.4 PPG

He's on a tear; those games on the 10th and 12th will tell us if the tear is because he has faced opposition who doesn't handle him well, or if the tear is him stepping above the competition.
- Monkeypunk

Would actually like to see him 100 points this season. That would be some crazy poop!

And once he hits that plateau, have him come back down to earth in a fit of pure exhaustion.

Would actually like to see him 100 points this season. That would be some crazy poop!

And once he hits that plateau, have him come back down to earth in a fit of pure exhaustion.
- mjones242

Gretzky had 100 points in 33 games or something like that

that blows my mind

Gretzky had 100 points in 33 games or something like that

that blows my mind
- senstroll

Friggin goalies

If the Leafs aren’t able to hold onto first I don’t like their chances in any round of the playoffs even if they end up playing the Canucks. The team has been playing well. They’d have to fall apart pretty badly not to take two of the next four unless they decide to “aggressively” rest players.

Friggin goalies
- Garnie

How come they were so much worse for him. The best measure of why he was the best ever is how far ahead of the competition he was. In ‘81-82, he had 212 points. Bossy was closest with 147.

How come they were so much worse for him. The best measure of why he was the best ever is how far ahead of the competition he was. In ‘81-82, he had 212 points. Bossy was closest with 147.
- Canada Cup

#lucky

-James Tanner

Gretzky had 100 points in 33 games or something like that

that blows my mind
- senstroll

Early 80s hockey must have been something else.

If the Leafs aren’t able to hold onto first I don’t like their chances in any round of the playoffs even if they end up playing the Canucks. The team has been playing well. They’d have to fall apart pretty badly not to take two of the next four unless they decide to “aggressively” rest players.
- Canada Cup

I think the narrative surrounding last game was a media driven story that's overblown. "The Leafs were approaching it like a playoff game, and you could tell". How? By the way they clearly weren't engaged? That was a not a team that was ratcheted up to play their game.

I'm with you - if they take these games seriously, they should win 3 of 4.

Big game tonight: Winnipeg @ Calgary.

We need Winnipeg to win.

Then, if everything goes as expected (Edmonton beats Vancouver twice more this week, Montreal takes 1 point against Leafs in next two games or Winnipeg takes point against Ottawa on Saturday) then the Flames and Canucks will be officially eliminated by Saturday, and the playoffs can start earlier.

It will be franking maddening if the NHL delays the start of the playoffs for the North to watch Calgary play Vancouver three more times.
- Atomic Wedgie

While I agree, it would be good from an injury perspective for both the Habs and Toronto. I still havent seen an update on Foligno which doesnt bode well.

Gretzky had 100 points in 33 games or something like that

that blows my mind
- senstroll

I think I read somewhere that Lemieux had a 100 in 32.

How come they were so much worse for him. The best measure of why he was the best ever is how far ahead of the competition he was. In ‘81-82, he had 212 points. Bossy was closest with 147.
- Canada Cup

True - some people minimize Gretky's legacy by brining up number of goals allowed by teams back then.

But as you mention, you need to compare vs peers of the time. There were so few players that were even close. Lemieux is one of the few.

How come they were so much worse for him. The best measure of why he was the best ever is how far ahead of the competition he was. In ‘81-82, he had 212 points. Bossy was closest with 147.
- Canada Cup

Wayne Gretzky was so good they literally changed the playing surface by moving the net out from the boards because of him! He didn't just "change the game", he physically changed the game.

Mario Lemieux was my favourite to watch, but Gretzky was ridiculous.

#lucky

-James Tanner
- Garnie

Random.

True - some people minimize Gretky's legacy by brining up number of goals allowed by teams back then.

But as you mention, you need to compare vs peers of the time. There were so few players that were even close. Lemieux is one of the few.
- Nasty_Duck

Steve Yzerman once scored 51 goals 57 assists 108 points and didn't make the 1991 Team Canada (Canada Cup) team.

I think I read somewhere that Lemieux had a 100 in 32.
- bryant

im trying to look it up
in 1983 Gretz did it in 34 games

I think Mario was close to that also, but I think WG has the record

Steve Yzerman once scored 51 goals 57 assists 108 points and didn't make the 1991 Team Canada (Canada Cup) team.
- gergeswillems

Stamkos was left off 2010 (coming off 51 goals and 95 points highest goal scoring Canadian and 2nd in points)

I think I read somewhere that Lemieux had a 100 in 32.
- bryant

Lemieux was the only one close to Gretzky in ppg's.

https://www.quanthockey.c...nts-per-game-leaders.html

True - some people minimize Gretky's legacy by brining up number of goals allowed by teams back then.

But as you mention, you need to compare vs peers of the time. There were so few players that were even close. Lemieux is one of the few.
- Nasty_Duck

He could never do the things that McDavid or Matthews do. But those are amazing plays a few times a game. Gretzky controlled the play a lot of the game. I mean, there not much time for anything else if you’re putting up that many points.

BTW, in those years he was +80, 100, 71. He was +465 for his career